Lodge History

James E. Bullen Lodge came about after a conversation in 1986 between 3 friends, Peter Robinson, Derek Tagg and Gordon Gauntlett in the Portsmouth County Club at Kent Road Southsea, a 100-year-old Thomas Owen built property, and was going to be called The Portsmouth County Club Lodge.  We were going to create a Lodge room on the third floor of that building above the dining room.

We had no trouble finding enough brethren interested in becoming founders as 80% of the membership of the County Club were Freemasons and we all liked the idea of having our own private Lodge room.  As things progressed, the other 20% of the County club members were getting concerned their club was being taken over by Freemasons and with Province requesting that they would rather have the new Lodge be based at Guildhall Walk, we decided to abandon Kent Road as the base and rename it the James E. Bullen Lodge after the then Provincial Grand Master.

W.Bro. Peter Robinson being the landlord, we began to use the rooms above the Pembroke Arms in Pembroke Road for our meetings to finalise the application to Grand Lodge, and rehearse until our date for the consecration was set.  We started our Founders Dinners 12 months prior to the consecration in 1987, dining at the County club every 3 months.

From the outset, we wanted to make the Lodge something special especially at our festive boards with fine wines and good food.  This was achieved by having the two main chefs/lecturers from Highbury Catering College as members; W.Bro. Nick Phillips (Founder) organising the menus’ and W.Bro. Doug Smith (Member) personally cooking the food.  Students from the college were used to serve on tables which aided them in their training, this being in the days when the catering was not franchised out.  When the management of Guildhall Walk put the kitchens out to franchise, we quite often dined outside of the Lodge premises to try and keep up the standards – local restaurants, County Club, Highbury College, even dining in the Guildhall.  Our Lodge was set up that all members paid their lodge dues and for five meals all at once in January.

On Friday 6th May 1988, the first recorded words spoken on behalf of the Lodge was at the consecration by Bro. Jerry Fox “Brethren of the James E. Bullen Lodge No.9273, to order”  – this was when all the founders were assembled in the middle of the Lodge room.  W.Bro. Gordon Gauntlett was then installed as the Primus Master and he then installed his officers. 

This being an all-day affair, we started with breakfast followed by the morning ceremony, broke for lunch, consecrated the Lodge in the afternoon and spent the early evening at the Lodge installation meeting followed by an 8 pm festive board.  This was a lively affair with over 120 brethren in attendance!

The Lodge was also noted for its workings in the temple, this was due to having one of the best ritualists in the province as director of ceremonies, W.Bro. Owen Adams, who was also being aided and advised by W.Bro. Victor John Jenner P.J.G.D. and W.Bro. Alan Callaway O.B.E. P.S.G.D.  W.Bro. Peter Robinson and W.Bro. Derek Tagg was responsible for the wording and design of the front cover of the Lodge summons with Peter coming up with the Lodge badge and Latin quote.  It was W.Bro. Gordon Gauntlett with the help of W.Bro. Alan Callaway that the little differences to our meeting were written into our ceremonies.

Each year, the Provincial Grand Master James E. Bullen would attend our October meeting and take the Master’s chair for a raising until ill health restricted him from attending.  When Guildhall Walk closed, we moved to the Masonic temple in Lake road Portsmouth before finally ending up at the Cosham Masonic Hall which with moving, we had to change our dates off our meetings which we meet today.

Founders

G.G. Gauntlett*	O. W. Adams	P.J. Jenkinson	D.R. Quade**	J. Morris-Weston**
P. Robertson*	R. Lund**	P.J. Sellars**	P.C. White*	D.I. Young**
D.M. Tagg*	K. J. White	J.D. Fox*	A.G. Currey*	M.J. Fagelman
R. Gresham**	J. G. Dickson*	N.G. Phillips	W.H. Bates*	B.E. Cuff*
I. Williams**	M.A. Keith–Smith*	P.K. Shim*	B.L. Griffiths	T.J.E. Atkins*
I.G. Warren**	A.P. Riley**	J.D.E. Reynolds**	A.G. Barrett*

* Deceased
** Resigned